A Good Friend
by Black Boxed
Summary: With a ring in his pocket and a bottle of booze in his hand, Draco spirals down after his loss. It takes a good friend to be everything all at once during his time of need.


AN: Written for Beater Position 1. Prompts used: Shoe, Picture Frame, and Would you have it any other way. I had hoped to have this beta read, but unfortunately there was just no time. Please forgive me and as always criticism is welcome. - Chris

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"Can I be? Was I there?

It felt so crystal in the air.

I still want to drown whenever you leave;

Please teach me gently how to breathe."

Shelter, the xx

Draco stumbled into his flat dizzily as he swallowed the desire to purge. Not that it would've mattered... there was no one to witness such a disturbing and undignified action. No more would he ever hear the shrill yelling of his hot-headed fiance when he didn't clean up after himself. No more would he ever hear her coy suggestiveness when she wanted him to follow her into the bedroom. No more would he hear her giggles when she thought something was funny. He realized this almost instantly upon hearing the silence of their once shared home.

The flowers slid from his fingers and hit the floor as a few petals detached from the blossoms; he made no effort to pick them up. Instead he walked to the fireplace desperate for a drink to make him forget everything that had happened. The sharp clicking of polished shoes against marble floors echoed off the walls, reminding him with each step that the house was truly empty for the first time in so long.

Slumping into the chair, he summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey bypassing the glass all together. If there were ever a day to get piss drunk, today would certainly be the day. He inhaled the spicy, amber liquid and ran a hand through his perfectly styled locks. He should have known it was too good to be true. He had done too much bad in his lifetime for anything good to possibly happen. He knew better.

As he undid his tie, his eyes drifted to the side table where her picture constantly smiled at him before giving him a flirtatious wink. He remembered when she gave it to him. It had been his birthday and she had presented the silver plated picture frame and said, 'There will be more where that comes from, but the others are for your eyes only...' He had smirked and ended the party early as a result. He had no shame in admitting it had been the best birthday any man could possibly have.

The more liquid he choked down, the less of a hold he had on reality and before he knew it a quarter was gone. He realized in his drunken stupor that tears had been trailing down his cheeks. Normally he would have wiped them quickly and pretended nothing had happened, but there was no one to see him and he found he just didn't have the energy to care anymore.

The fireplace activated and he tensed automatically. There wasn't a person in the world he wanted to see at the moment, but sure enough the form of his oldest friend walked through the other side.

"Draco!"

His eyebrows drew together and he scowled. "Get out!" he slurred. "I don't want to see you right now."

Pansy frowned at his attitude and as she skimmed his dishevelled clothing, she knew instantly something was wrong. Noting the smell of whiskey, she took a seat at his feet, resting her head on his right thigh.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, awaiting the onslaught of questions on what had happened, but to his surprise she remained silent as if in her own thoughts. He wasn't, however, surprised when she held out her hand for the bottle. She always did love a good drink to go along with angst, even if the depression wasn't her own.

He smirked in spite of himself. "This is practically tradition for us, isn't it?" he mumbled as she took a drink from the bottle.

She swallowed and hid her face, but he felt her lips curl up against his trouser-covered leg. "But would you have it any other way?" she retorted into the fabric.

He didn't reply as she took another sip, but his fingers found their way into her raven locks; soft and smooth to the touch. It was so different than the blonde curls he was used to. The heat in the room had increased and he undid his shirt buttons before patting her on the head like a precious dog which resulted in an annoyed snort.

Taking the precious pat of affection as a sign, she continued out the rest of the tradition by standing to help him out of the chair. He had the drink, now was the time to retire. She had practised the skill of getting Draco to bed so much it was nearly an art form. He slung his arm around her petite frame and she walked him towards the master bedroom only for him to stall in the hallway. Hearing the unspoken request, she steered him into the guest bedroom where he flopped down onto the bed limply where she removed his shoes, socks, trousers, then his shirt.

By the time she was done, Draco appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She leaned over to kiss his forehead and got to work folding his clothes, not knowing what else to do for him. She knew what the plans had been for the night and had expected a happy report, but she hadn't expected him to drink himself into oblivion. As she folded his barely worn trousers, she noticed the odd lump in the pocket and reached in for the velvet box she knew she'd find.

Thumbing open the lid, she smirked to herself. It was quite the gaudy thing and once upon a schoolgirl's dream she had assumed the ring would be on her finger. Which left her wondering why Daphne had refused...

Pansy had been the one to make everything as perfect as possible. It was simply what she did. Needless to say, she knew what strings to pull to make the most romantic setup possible. She had paid off the restaurant to only open for Draco and Daphne. The flowers, the candles, the music; it had all been planned by her. The only thing that Draco had any free rein over was the actual proposal.. which given the ring still being in the box and not on his fiance's finger... she must have said no.

She pursed her lips and thought about what a bitch Daphne was before peeking at Draco and trying on the ring. She almost regretted letting him sleep off his intoxication. It would've been an opportune time to weasel the truth out of him.

"Oh Draco, what the bloody hell did she do to you?" she growled, staring into the crisp diamond. Hatred bubbled up within and she wanted to hunt down the blonde and show her what a mistake she were making.

"She died, and I'd say she took my heart along with her."

Pansy jumped and the lid shut with a snap before tumbling out of her fingers. She hid her left hand behind her back and glanced up to see Draco staring at her sadly. "I didn't know, I thought she had said no." She took a seat on the comforter and placed her hand on his.

He turned on his back, seeming to sober with the words and put his arms behind his head. "I could have handled it if she had said no, Pans." She nodded sympathetically until he smirked, but his heart wasn't in it. "I also know you're wearing the ring..."

She sighed long and low before putting the ring back in it's rightful home, and leaned over to kiss his forehead again in parting. "Get some sleep Draco, I'll be here when you're ready to talk." She turned to walk away but a hand on her wrist halted her in her tracks.

"Don't go."

The one single phrase was enough for her heart to break in two. She could hear the anger, sadness, rejection, desperation, and need all wrapped up in two single words, and who was she to deny him. Had she been in his place, she'd request the same of him. She nodded and toed off her shoes before crawling into the bed next to him.

It was familiar territory and not the first time they had been in the same bed, and like all things, it came natural for the two of them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and snuggled into her as if she was his own personal teddy bear. She put her hand on top of his, rubbing the skin in almost a petting motion. It wasn't long before she could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest and the soft breaths on her neck; a sure sign that he was truly asleep.

It was in that moment that she made the silent vow. She was sincerely and truly his for eternity, be it emotional crutch or personal confidant. She alone would put his broken pieces back together for him to move on, and she'd plaster a false smile on her face when that day came.

Because that's what friends do...

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**Thanks For Reading**


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